Level transit



g- 6, 1952 c. w. KEUFFEL LEVEL TRANSIT '3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. l0, 1947 mun-" in- -'r. lllllllllllllllllllll mvsl vron CARL W. KEUFFEL Aug. 26, 1952 c, w. KEUFFIEL LEVEL TRANSIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Filed Dec. 10. 1947 Illl lIlIIIIllllll l lllll INVENTOR. CARL W. KEUFFEL Aug. 26, 1952 c. w KEUFFEL LEVEL TRANSIT Filed Dec. .10, 1947 [s She'ets-Sh eet '5 llvv'kron. CARL m KEUFFEL 578(8. M

Patented Aug. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES 2,607,994 LEVEL TRANSIT I 1 Carl W. Keufiel, Bcrnardsville; Jflass i gnorto Keuflel & Esser Company, Hoboken, J., a H

corporation of New Jersey Application December 10, 1947; Serial No. 790,902

3Claims. (o1. as-' 9) 1 c This invention relates to a type of surveying instrument frequently used in building work. This type of instrument is chiefly used as a level but is also provided with means for reading horizontal and vertical angles when desired.

The principal object of the invention is to'provide a simple, rigid, non-straining means for readily locking the telescope in the horizontal position when the instrument is to be used as a level.

This and other objects of the invention and the means for their attainment will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and in which:

Figure I is a view in elevation showing the improved instrument. I

Figure II-is a view in plan showing the improved instrument.

Figure III is a view in front elevation with a portion in section showing the improved instrument.

Figure IV is a view in enlarged elevation showing the locking means looking in the opposite direction from Figure I from a point between the standards of the instrument.

Referring to the drawings, in which the same number always refers to the same part, a levelling head 2 is provided by means of which the instrument may be fastened to a tripod and levelled thereon. The base plate 4 is provided with an internal thread which fits a similar thread on the tripod. The four levelling screws 6 and either the plate level vial 5 or the telescope level vial 3 are used for levelling up the instrument, The alidade 8 is fastened to a center spindle not shown so that it may be turned about the levelling head. The alidade 8 carries a Vernier 1 mounted adjacent the horizontal scale9 provided on the limb plate I I. The vernier I and horizontal scale 9 are used to read the horizontal position of the telescope l4, carried by the alidade 8. A clamp operated by the knurled headed screw Ill clamps the alidade 8 in any selected position and the tangent screw I2 is provided for fine adjustment of the alidades position. The structures of these aforementioned parts may all be in accord with desig s well known in the art.

The telescope I4 is rotatably mounted on the alidade 8 by means of the telescope axle I6. In the embodiment shown the telescope l4 rotates through an angle of about 90. The design may be changed at will to permit greater or less rotation depending on the use to which the instrument is put. The axle l6 rests in recesses provided therefor in each of the standards l8 and 20 of the alidade 8 and is held in place therein by the cover plates 22 and24.

Two annular members 26 and 28 are secured to the outside of the telescope as for example by means of solder. The telescope level vial 3 is adjustably mounted to the annular members 26 and 28 in a position beneath the telescope. The protractor plate 38 is also secured to the annular members 26 and 28 as bythe screws 32. Two arcuate members 34 and 35 are fastened to the inner side of the protractor plate 36 as by the screws 38 so that their lower edges align with the lower edge of the protractor plate. The arcuate members 34 and 35 are spaced apart so as to form a recess at the center of the protractor plate 36. The arcuate members 34 and 35 are adjustably mounted as by fitting the screws 38 in enlarged holes in the members 34 and 35 in order to permit accurate spacing of the members which will determine the position of a. recess for receiving a locking lever 36 and the size of the recess. The lockin lever 36 is pivotally mounted in the standard l8 so that it may be conveniently rotated from a position in the recess between the arcuate members 34 and 35 to a free position as shown by the dotted lines in Figure III.

In the preferred embodiment the pivot pin 52 about which the locking lever 36 rotates is mounted in the standard on the pivot mount 48 which is fitted into a hole in the standard I8 and secured thereto by the screws 42. The shape of the pivot mount 48 is shown in the views Figure I and Figure IV. The portion 44 which passes through the standard is made to fit accurately into a cylindrical hole in the standard l8. The flange portion 46 fits against the outer surface of the standard [8 and is secured thereto by the screws 42. The cylindrical portion 44 is provided with 'a' vertical slot 48 in which the locking lever 36 closely fits. The cylindrical portion 44 is also provided with a hole 58 running perpendicular to the slot 48 for receiving the pivot pin 52. The hole. 50 is threaded on one side of the slot 48 and recessed on the other. The pivot pin 52 is provided with a slotted head on one end fitting the recess at one end of the hole 56 and is threaded on the other end where it engages the threads on the other end of the hole 56. The pin 52 mount the locking lever 36 for rotation in the slot 48 of the pivot mount 46. It should be realized that the means described for locking the protractor plate 30 to the standard I8 is the preferred means only. A person skilled in the art will be able to devise other means for accomplishing the same result which will be within the scope of the invention.

As is shown in Figure III the locking lever 36 moves into locking position when its finger arm 31 is pushed down and to unlocking position when its finger arm 31 is pushed up (dotted position). The locking lever 36 is made with plano parallel surfaces so that there will be no tendency for it to slip out of; therecess' the walls of which are formed by the ends of the arcuate members 34 and 35 which walls are also made fiat and par-, allel to the surfaces of the locking lever 36. The: telescope I4 is firmly held in a horizontal position when the locking lever 36 is in looking position since the latter acts through theprotractor'plata 30 on the annular members" 26 and 28" which are-- spaced on either side of the telescope axle I6.

The locking action of the locking lever 36- has no I tendency to strain the telescope or other parts of 7 angular elevation or; depression: of the: telescope:

M when thel'oching lever .36 is used asdescribed; Thetangent screw: (i2: used for giving; the: tele scope a, fine: adjustment. about. the axis: 1% when the." clamp; screw 63 is tightened: The focussing knob- B l is usedfor focussing the telescoperby means ot a rackand pinion. arrange-- ment' not. shown.. {The operations; of; the. clamp screw 611, tangent-screwdi-Z and focussing knob;

84- are similar-tothose on many commercial instruments well lmownin the art.= 7

Having"; thus I described j the-- mvention: what is;

claimed-i521 V v g I I '1 In a-surveying'instrument having; anzalidades rotatable; arounda' vertical axis and including.- two standards carryii ig a telescope at. least partially; rotatable; around a horizontal axis? the combinationqot an. arcuate member adjacent.- to one of said standards secureditssaidtelescope at: both of itsends'andiprovi ded with a recess-having parallel walls, a; pivot mount having a cylindrical portion fitting in a hole insaid standard adjacent to said: arcuate member, havingza dangerwherebysaid: pivot mountimaybe: securedto: saidstandard and having-a slot like opening,,a locking lever in said. slotlike' opening ofsaid: pivotanount formed. on one end to. fit inthe. recess with: which saidarcuatemernberz isprovided, said locking level;- being formed with a finger piece on. its; other end andhaving, a hole between its-ends; toereceizvea pivot pin and a; pirot pin passing throughthe cylindrical portion. of pivot, mount. and. through the hole provided in sai'd locking, lever. so, that said locliingflever may be pivoted at will in and out of the. recess with whichsai'd. ai ouatev member is"provided'. I 5 11 21. II v a surveying,'ihstrurnenthaving an alidade' rotatable. amend avertical' axi's aridl including two standards carrying. a 't'el'escope atleast pare tially rotatable around a horizontal axis, the combination of an arcuate member adjacent to the inside surface of one of said standards secured to said telescope at both of its ends and provided with a recess having parallel walls and a single locking lever passing through said standard adjacent to said arcuate member and pivoted therein, said-locl'zing lever-fleeing provided with plane-parallelwalls on the end extending inside said standard to fit between the plano-parallel walls. of said recess and being formed with a finger piece on the end extending outside of said standard so that the end of said locking lever having. pIano-paralleliwalls may be moved manuallyin: adi'rection perpendicular to the plane of said arcuate member in and out of the recess I withwhichsai-d arcuate member is provided when rotatable around a. vertical axis: and including; I two standards carrying. ateleseope at'lcastpar tial-ly rotatable around aghorizontal axis, the combination of anarcuate member; adjacent to the. inside surface. of. one. of: said standards secured to said telescope. atboth of. its ends; two:

1 spaced adjustable members secured to said arcuate member-the ends of. whichiorm the parallel walls oil a recess between the. members and a, single locking lever passingthroughsaid; standef ard adjacent to saicl a -rcuate member andrpivoted. therein, said locking; lever being provided-with plano -para llel-. walls: on; the end;extending. inside said standard to fit between the plano parallelz walls of said recess and: being formed. with; a" finger piece on the end extending outside ofisaidstandard. sotha-t the 'end or. said-slacking lever having: piano-parallel wallsiinay bemoved manna ally in a direction perpendicular to the plane of said arcuate member. in and-out. of. the-recess with which said a-rcuate member'is provided when the: axis of. said telescope. isv perpendicular. to theaxis. of the instrument wherebysaidl telescope may be. locked. in position with its axis. perpendiculanto the-axis: of the instrument when thesurveying ihstrument is used as a leveL- I I I I IM KEUFFEI- innrnnnness mnn I The; following: referencesareob record in. the. 

